El Paso inmates help move bodies into morgues as Covid deaths soar

Use of inmates temporary' until Texas national guard able to help, said sheriff's office, as facilities in area overwhelmed

In footage which spread rapidly on social media, nine inmates wearing the striped jumpers of the El Paso county jail helped move bodies into mobile morgues.

Having to use inmates tells the story of how short-handed we must be," El Paso county judge Ricardo Samaniego told local media, as he struggled to cope with the rising tide of Covid-19 in the west Texas city on the border with Mexico.